I am trying to install Ubuntu 13 on my laptop, which came with Windows 8. It also came with an empty partition, along with the three that windows 8 uses. I want to install Ubuntu on that partition. I booted a Live USB pretty easily, but on the install screen, it asked where to install the bootloader. I am fine with using grub instead of the windows bootloader, but I want to be able to revert anything in case I screw up. If I install grub to the hard drive, does it delete the windows bootloader, or does it just point to grub? I would also like to know if I can install Ubuntu and not Grub. My only experience is when I installed, but did not dual-boot, my desktop with Linux Mint 14.

This is my first question, so please feel free to ask for information I have left out.

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Your's is a secure boot uefi machine, so it's a different world. You are right to be concerned, and should look at this forum for other secure/uefi threads. Backup the efi files before you do anything!
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ubfan1May 5 '13 at 21:18

1 Answer
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If you do a default grub install, as far as I know it will overwrite the default MBR (master boot record) on that drive. There are other alternatives, and there is a way to restore the windows bootloader in the MBR but remember, if you install os-prober you will still have windows 8 in that list of options to boot to. Even if you removed ubuntu you could use GRUB to boot to windows.

Kind of a funny things to think about but it works. Plus you'll like Ubuntu better anyway so why would you want to remove it?

I just don't want to crew up my laptop. Thanks though. what is os-prober?
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BillThePlatypusMay 5 '13 at 20:40

os-prober is basically a plugin for grub. when you run sudo grub-mkconfig it will automatically look for any other os's and add them to grub.cfg, then when you run sudo grub-install /dev/sda (or whatever hd you're installing grub to) all your os's will show up automatically. install it with sudo apt-get install os-prober edit: if you're using grub2 it would be grub2-mkconfig and grub2-install ... also depending on your setup you might have to use grub2-mkconfig -o /boot/grub2/grub.cfg or something similar. however odds are your boot partition isn't separate so grub2-install /dev/sda will work
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AureliusMay 5 '13 at 20:50